Stirrer or conveyer.



1). J. NEYILL, r STIRREB 0R GONVEYBB.

APPLICATION FILED APBJB, 1910.

1,039,785. Patented 0ct.1,19

2 SHEETSSHEET 1.

D. J. NEVILL.

STIRRER 0R CONVEY'ER.

APPLICATION FILED APB.8, 1910 1 ,O39,785. Patented Oct. 1, 1912.

9 /9 2 v v W 58 UNITED srnrns rnrnr onnion.

DAVID JACK NEVILL, (JP-DENVER, COLOBADD.

STIRREB 0R CONVEYER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed April 8, 1910. Serial Nol 554,278.

' Patented Dot.

To all whom it may concern:

the art to which it appertains to make anduse the same.

This invention relates to conveyers or stirrer-s, and it has specialreference to devices of this kind in which a body of ma- 1 5 terial ispushed by means of a rake or similar element along a plate or trough.

The object of the invention is to furnish an improved and simplifieddevice of this kind in which .the rake is moved in an endless path ororbit, the lower run of which is substantially parallel to the troughbottom or other surface on which the material acted on is deposited.

More specifically the invention aimsto provide a conveyer in the'form ofa jointed parallelogram, one member of which is constituted by a rake.This pai'allelogram is acted upon at one point by suitable operatingmechanism that will efiect a uniform working movement of the rake withrespect to the trough regardless of the length of the apparatus. Theoperating mechanism may:

be connected with the parallelogram at one end of the latter, orintermediate of the ends of the same, or at other points, as conveniencemay require.

In the accompanying drawlngs: Figure 1 is a top plan view of a portionof a conveyer constructed in accordance with the invention, Figs. 2 to 5inclusive are vertical longitudinal sections through the same,illustrating differentstages of the operation, F g. 6 is atop plan viewof a conveyor of modified form, and Figs. 7 to 10 inclusive are vertlcallongitudinal sections of the conveyor shownin Fig. 6, illustratingdifferent stages of the operation. I p

Referring to the drawings and more par ticularly to Figs. 1 to 5,15indicates a trough through'which the material is to be fed, and

16 denotes a "rake operating longitudinally of tlie trough. The specificconstruction of the rake 16 is immaterial, but in theembodlment shown itcomprises parallel frame members from which depend transverse rakeblades 17. At a point-above the rake frame,

which forms the lower member of-the parallelogram, previously alludedto, is a frame" 18, which forms the upper member of the parallelogramand rolls along the track formed-by the sides of the trough, by means ofwheels or rollers 19 mounted on opposite ends. .of transverse spindles20' that are car- 1 ried by said frame-18 at suitable points in thelength thereof.- The frame 18, like the rake frame 16, preferablycomprises parallel side members, and the transverse spindles or axles20extend through the side members of the frame 18. Theend members of theparallelogram are constituted by links 21, which'are pivoted on thespindles or axles 2O anddepend freely therefrom, between the sidemembers of-the upper frame 18, the

lower extremities-of said links projecting down between the side members'of'the rake frame and being pivoted to said members.

as indicated at 22.2 Intermediate of the ends of the links 21, the sameare provided with suitable stops 23, which, by abutting against the rakeframe prevent'the latter from taking a position lower than thatindicated in Fig. 2, wherein the links 21 are inclined and suspend therake frame at such an elevation that the blades thereof are in closeproximity to the trough bottom. Connected to the upperframe or member 18at a point between the two pairs of wheels or rollers shown is'aconnecting rod 24 pivoted to a bracket 25 applied to the frame 18.opposite end of said connectingrod is pivoted to a crank 26 carried by ashaft 27 to which rotation is imparted by a gear 28 meshing with a gear29 on a power driven shaft 30. Intermediate of, the ends of theconnecting rod 24' the same carries a pin 31 which supports connectinglinks 32 piv oted at 33 to the rake frame 16. i The links The 32 aremovable lengthwise with respect to the position shown in Fig. 2, whereinthe rake frame is at the limit of its forward or conveying stroke,(toward the right) 1f the driving mechanism'is driven ,as ,indicatedbythe arrows, the crank-26willberaisedinto the position shown in vFig. 3.-In the tion shown in Fig. 2, noraising action on thev position indicatedhed. In this figure, the crank 26 is di- 5 32 andfthereby raises .therake frame 16,

the: entire parallelogram being simultanemoved ;to.'the left through theturn- -.;Lng of. the, crank 26in that direction and the correspondingtravel of the wheels 19 of the upper frame member along the track. Inthis .way, the rake is raised up and moved back overqthe material inthe'trough withputtouching the same. On a further movement of thecrank'27 in the same direction, in Fig. 4. will be rooted horizontalland toward the left, and the rake is at t e limit of its rearward strokeand aboht to commence its forward shing stroke, it-having been lowered"'nto proximity to the trough bottom thou the lowering of the connectingrod will be understood. Fig. 5 illustrates theiparts at the intermediateportion of the forward or conveying stroke, in which position the, rakeframe 16 is supported solely from the upper wheeled frame member 18 bymeans of the links 21, the stops 23 of which hold the rake frame at theproper Ilevation, as will be manifest. A further quarter revolution ofthe crank 27 will cause the completion of the conveying stroke and bringthe parts back to the position indicated in Fig. 2, wherein the rake isshown as about to rise and return over the material to begin anotherpushing impulse; v

In the form illustrated in Figs. 6 to 10, the conveyer' operates onsubstantially the same principle as that hereinbefore ex- ..plained, butthe operating mechanism acts on the end of the parallelogram instead of1st an intermediate pointJ Said operating mechanism comprises aconnecting .rod pivoted to the forward end of the rake 16, as' indicatedat36, and also pivoted to a crank 37 of an operating shaft 38. The upperframe member 18 is provided with axles20 and wheels 19 as before, butthe arrang-ement of the links connecting the upper and lower framemembers is somewhat "modified. In this last construction the links 39,which are pivoted to the axles 20 and to the rake, as before indicated,are each provided with two stops 39, 39, which coact with the upperframe member 18 instead of with the rake frame. The stops 39, 39 arelocat at opposite sides of the links and eagh}s top" ;ig9? prevents therake frame from maki g upward beyond the position shown in Fig.j 8',-"fwhi1e each stop 39" prevents the droppingfiof the rake frame below thepositiiin;?'shown in Fig. 7 The rake frame 16- is" counterweighted inthis lnstance at a point .I intermediate 'of the wheeled axles.

is efiected by connecting said rake with a counter weighted lever 40 bymeans of links 41, the lever 40 being pivoted at 42 to swing in avertical plane.

The operation of this form of the conveyer will be readily understoodfrom the foregoing description taken in. connection with the disclosureof Figs. 7 to 10. Fig. 7 shows the rake at the limit of its forward orconveying movement, the connecting rod 35 being alined therewith. Amovement of said connecting rod into the position shown in Fig. 8 willcause the stops 39 of the links 39 to abut against the under surface ofthe upper frame member 18, whereupon said frame member will be rolledbackward along the track afforded by the sides'of the trough, with therake above and out of contact wlth the material in the trough. Fig. 9shows the parts when the rake has reached the limit of its return orrearward movement, and during further quarter revolution of the drivingshaft 38, bringing the crank 37 into its lowermost position, the rakewill be lowered so that its blades will travel parallel stops 39 againstthe under surface of the upper frame member of the parallelogram.

It is obvious that a counterbalancing device may be used in connectionwith the first.

form of conveyer described, as well as the second, and that the form ofsuch device and its point of application are not material to theinvention. It is also to be understood that the driving mechanism mayact intermediate of the .ends of they conveyer, as shown in Figs. 1 to5, at one end ofthe same, as shown in Figs. 6 to 10, or at a number ofpoints, as called for by conditions. Of course, the conveyer canbeextended to any length, and the number of link members employed isimmaterial. In short, I wish it to be understood that I have notattempted to illustrate and describe in this application all of thenumerous modifications which fallwithin the scope of the invention.

What I claim is 1. In a conveyer, a longitudinally sliding upper member,a lower rake member, links pivotally connecting said members andequipped with gstops carried by said links to limit the relativemovement thereof, and means to cause the reciprocation of said uppermember and the simultaneous raising and lowering of the rake member.

2. In a conveyer, a trough, a sliding memher-having wheels rolling onthe upperv edges of th trough, links pivoted to and depending from saidsliding member, a rake frame.

pivoted to the lower ends of said links, stops on said links to limitthe vertical movement of therake frame with respect to the trough, J30.

above said surface, with said surface,

and means to reciprocate said sliding memher and simultaneously raiseand lower the rake frame.

3. In a conveyor, the combination with a surface along; which materialis conveyed, of a wheeled member mounted to reciprocate a rake framecoaeting links pivotally suspending the rake frame from said wheeledmember, and operating means including a member attached directly to therake frame, and by means of which the wheeled member is reciprocated andthe rake frame is simulta neously raised and lowered, as described.

141. In aconveyer, the-combination of a surface along which material isconveyed,

alengthwise reciprocating member mounted above said surface, a rakeframe coacting with said surface and suspended from said member by meansof pivoted links, stops Carried by said links to limit the verticalmovement of the rake frame with respect to said surface, and operatingmeans for the said rake frame from said device including a memberconnected directly with the rake frame to raise and lower the same assaid first named member reciprocates. p

5. In a conveyer, the combination with a trough along which materialisconveyed, of a member having wheels traveling onthe' edges of saidtrough, a rake frame to coact with the trough bottom, links suspendingfirst named member and provided with stops carried by said links tolimit the movement of the frame with respect to the trough, andoperating means for the device including means to reciprooate saidmember and said rake frame lengthwise of the trough and tosimultaneously raise and lower the rake frame.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature, in presence of two witnesses.DAVID JACK N EVILL.

Witnesses: JOHN K. JEFFREY,

CHAS. S. SToNa.

